The Board has remanded the case due to a change in the Veterans Law Judge who conducted the Travel Board hearing, and the Veteran is offered an opportunity for another personal hearing.
The deciding factor: The Veterans Law Judge conducting the initial hearing is no longer employed by the Board and the law requires that a new hearing be scheduled with a current judge.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral macular degeneration
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 28, 2011
- Citation
- 1140242
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 1140242.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to inconsistencies in a previous VA examiner's opinion regarding whether the Veteran's bilateral macular degeneration pre-existed service and was aggravated by military service. The case is now pending further clarification from an appropriate medical professional.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) for his service-connected bilateral focal chorioretinitis, bilateral optic neuritis, peripheral retinal degeneration, bilateral macular degeneration, and bilateral optic neuropathy, as well as PTSD with unspecified neurocognitive disorder and TBI.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for eye disability, including bilateral exotropia, macular degeneration, cataracts, dry eye syndrome, and pinguecula, as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were caused by or related to the Veteran's military service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral macular degeneration and photophobia as there is no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service.
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